Art

"Jump Around" by Jason Kotecki. Acrylic on canvas.
Original available here.
This painting was inspired by a tradition that Badger fans have at University of Wisconsin football games. Between the third and fourth quarters, the song “Jump Around” is boomed through the loudspeakers and all of the red-clad fans do exactly that.
It reminded me of those old electronic football games in which tiny plastic athletes buzzed around on an green metal field. Readers of a certain age will know exactly what I’m talking about, and this painting will bring back all sorts of memories.
For the of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, well, I guess you had to be there.
With football season now upon us, I am reminded of a cool idea the leader of an insurance agency shared with me at one of my speaking programs. During pigskin season, he allows his employees to wear jeans and the jersey of their favorite college or pro team. (He even buys the jersey as a welcome aboard present!) Then, if …

Exciting news! I am happy to announce a brand new public exhibition of a series of paintings I've been working on as part of my 2016 Tinker Project.
It's called "Best Friends Forever" and it's a collection of winning combinations, an exploration of relationships, and how sometimes, joining forces can make something greater than the sum of its parts.
I have shared little sneak peeks here and there on social media, but until now, have only revealed the whole series publicly to the 80 attendees who were at the recent Escape Adulthood Summit.
I'd love for you to check it out and let me know what you think. I hope it reminds you of the special people in your life that bring out the best in you. …

You’ve been there. You’ve attended a conference, a retreat, a networking meeting, or some other event that required you to wear a nametag. And then, hours after the event is over, you look down in horror to find that you are STILL wearing it. It clings to your shirt, mocking you like a group of middle schoolers laughing at your generic bargain buy shoes from KMart.
Doh!
You shamefully reflect back to calculate how many people must have seen you wearing your idiocy on your shirt, but count yourself fortunate that you didn’t have to undergo death by embarrassment from someone actually pointing out the faux pas to your face.
Because as everyone knows, although nametags are useful for things like networking meetings, they are to be removed immediately after such events.
Immediately.
Or are they? …

[ This is an excerpt from Penguins Can’t Fly +39 Other Rules That Don’t Exist, a beautiful and inspiring book that will help you uncover and break the so-called rules that could be holding you back from a life of awesome. Get it here! ]
Several years ago, Kim and I were hanging out at the Memorial Union on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison. Overlooking Lake Mendota, it’s the perfect place to sit in one of the trademark yellow, orange, or green chairs and people watch.
On this day, my eyes were drawn to a small family—Mom, Dad, and a little girl with pigtails—walking along the shoreline. The girl was a few yards ahead of her parents when she spotted a puddle, a remnant of the rainstorm that had drenched the city the day before.
Like the Millennium Falcon being pulled toward the Death Star by its powerful tractor beam, the girl was drawn to the pool of water.
Her intent was clear: She was going to get up close and personal with that puddle.
My first reaction …

[ This is an excerpt from Penguins Can’t Fly +39 Other Rules That Don’t Exist, a beautiful and inspiring book that will help you uncover and break the so-called rules that could be holding you back from a life of awesome. Get it here! ]
Moms everywhere seem to be united in their desire to make sure that if we leave the house, we do so with clean underpants.
In case we get into an accident. Naturally.
Because if you get into an accident, and you are rushed to the hospital, and the emergency workers are required to remove your underwear, and they discover that your tighty-whiteys are not as white as they should be, your mother will be notified immediately about her automatic induction into the Bad Mom Hall of Shame.
Or so I gather. …

Kim and I had a big test early on in our parenting adventure.
At dinner one evening when she was about two, Lucy got to drink out of a “big girl cup” with a straw. And for the first time ever, she discovered how to blow bubbles in her milk. In our household, this is on par with first words, first steps, and learning how to dunk cookies in milk.
It’s kind of a big deal. …

[ This is an excerpt from "Penguins Can’t Fly +39 Other Rules That Don’t Exist." Order it now and read about 39 more rules that might be holding you back from living the story you deserve. ]
Many well-intentioned parents, grandparents, and teachers urge kids to get a job with good benefits.
I couldn’t agree more. Except. …

My art almost always contains an element of whimsy. It also often involves inspiration, encouragement, or entertainment. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to make something that combines all three.
Other times, I end up with something that's just plain silly.
It all started with a mango with a mullet.
And I just could not stop. I felt compelled to paint pictures of food sporting hairstyles of varying levels of ridiculousness. When the dust settled, the series totaled nine in all, including cauliflower with a combover, cabbage with cornrows, and a pear with a perm. …

I loved building snow forts when I was a kid. For those of us who grew up in climates with frosty winters, it was a classic childhood pastime.
After a big snowfall, it was it was easy to start visioning what sort of fort you would build. Your imagination kicking into high gear, you’d think about building two levels, with windows -- and turrets! -- along with a few secret passageways and, of course, extra thick walls to protect against enemy snowball attacks.
Here’s the thing: no matter how grandiose your plans, you always start out with a plain, untouched pile of snow. But if you caught sight of the neighbor kids’ fort -- the ones who got started a few hours ahead of you -- it might be easy to get a little jealous. I mean, they have a freaking moat. And is that a snowball CATAPULT? …

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